When we are rushing we are not ourselves. When we are filling in our time (rather than experiencing it) we get caught up. When we are on our phones we can become isolated, no matter how many Facebook friends we have. And when we don’t listen to our emotions, we neglect our inner reasoning and peace.
The more space and time you give yourself to think, the more time you can guide your thoughts. By feeling your emotions, listening to your inner self, and expressing how you really feel, the mind is less controlled by the ego, and your inner truth can become visible. Now I am not saying that life is that simple, but these are great first steps to a healthier mind. This leads to a focused and more controlled perception of your reality.
Most of the time frames and pressures that we foresee in our life are not created by society, but ourselves. Let’s take running late for work as an example. Regular emotions such as worry, fear, doubt and anxiety over being late for work, are far worse for the human body than any slap on the wrist a boss can give. The pressures to achieve, accomplish more, be the best, and to make a name for ourselves should not be pressures at all. Self-challenges are supposed to be fun, otherwise what is the point? We believe that such things are a means to an end and that it will all be worth it ‘someday’. But when is someday?
Rather than working towards the chance to have freedom, peace or security ‘someday’ we must realise that someday is today. There will always be the next bill, the next asset, the next financial gain, superannuation, savings, aiding the kids, troubles, hardship, working through old age and so on and so forth. Things such as goals, plans, errands and chores are natural no matter how old we get. So as long as we live, it is natural to strive for more. We need to be at peace with this natural aspect of life rather than planning for when it all stops. It is not an item or a thing that you are seeking, it is a feeling. And feelings are available in the present, not in a plan.
The majority of life is not the end game. It is not the win and it is not the final success. In fact, these celebrative times only take up .01% of our life. The other 99.99% is within the journey. If we focus too much on where we’re going and where we have been, then we miss where we are. The present moment is where we live and it is our only true reality. So it is unwise to constantly focus on what emotions we want to obtain in the future, but instead, it is worth accepting that those emotions belong in the now.
The Lonely Spaceman 